5 Helpful Tips To Keep Your Office Tidy

27 Sep 5 Helpful Tips To Keep Your Office Tidy

“Wilson!”, bellows a booming voice from down the hall. Suddenly, the walls begin to shake as the C.E.O. storms down the hallway toward your office.

“Wilson, where’s the third quarter revenue projections?”

His massive silhouette fills your office door. In a meek and passive Voice you reply,

“Uh, you want that today? Uh… yes sir, I have it right here.”

“What’s that? I can hardly hear you.”

Suddenly, a huge pile of papers begin to rustle. Your head pops out as you flash a sheepish grin.”

If this sounds more familiar than you would care to admit, you might find this blog posting of value. We at Proactive Commercial Cleaning have been organizing folk’s messy offices for years and we have learned a thing or two. Here are just a few tips that might save your bacon when the boss comes to call.

Most of the time, the root cause for a cluttered office is a lack of planning. You should take a few minutes to look at how you use your office. Are there pens lying everywhere? Do files stack so high they resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Perhaps you need a Function Redo. Here are a few ideas:

Daily Take Home Items

Get a small box or chest that you can set in an out of the way place. In it you will put your keys, wallet, that toy for Timmy, Whatever you will be taking home that evening. This will keep those things from ending up on your desk.

One Project at a time

I know you think you are the master multi tasker but the truth is; you are not multi-tasking at all. You can only work on one project at a time. Keep the others neatly in a nearby drawer or file. This will also help you when it comes time to find a particular file.

Books and Binders

Really? You have to have every volume of taxation and accounting on your desk at the same time? Perhaps it’s more a matter of laziness. Just take a few seconds and put that book or binder away after using it. Better yet, set up an online library that you can reference instead.

Files, Files, and more files

Invest in a file system that is close at hand and easy to reach. That way you can quickly pull out the file you need, when you need it and replace it when you are done. No mess no fuss.

Whenever you have something sitting around collecting dust, whether it be on your desk, floor or shelf, you should apply these key questions.

Do I love it?

Do I Use It?

Do I need it?

If the answer is no then you should lose it, and fast. If you don’t have the stomach for it, get someone else to do it, but you need to get free of the negative vibes associated with the clutter.

Perhaps the real problem is how you have your office arranged. There are many schools of thought on this, but basic Fung Shui dictates that the most effective arrangement is when you can see both the window and the door from your desk chair. If you need to put your desk at an angle perpendicular to the wall, then do it. Changing the layout of your office can go a long way to de cluttering your life.

Nothing is worse than coming to work to an office so full of clutter you have to use a metal detector to find your chair. Why not create a daily habit. Before leaving the office every day, take five minutes to put away files you’ve used or throw away those old lunch wrappers. Taking a few minutes before you leave for the day can create a wonderful atmosphere for starting your new workday. If you do so every day, the chore will become a 5-minute job instead of half a day.

Avoid placing printers, scanners and other large devices on your desk workspace. You need that real estate for important planning and other work. Think about investing in blue tooth or wireless devices that can eliminate not only the desk real estate usage, but the messy cord situation as well.

Finally, If you find that these suggestions don’t work for you then go one-step further. Perhaps it’s time to hire a professional to keep your cluttered office space organized. It is extremely affordable to hire a professional cleaning service and you will be far more productive than ever before. To receive a free quote or to arrange for cleaning services just give Proactive Commercial Cleaning a call at: